The Senate voted 50-49 in the early hours of Saturday to confirm Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General. Blanche had been serving as acting AG since April 2026, after Trump fired Pam Bondi. Before this confirmation, he spent roughly two years as Donald Trump's personal criminal defense attorney — representing him in the classified documents case, the January 6 federal obstruction case, and the New York hush money trial. Two Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — voted against him alongside all Democrats. The vote only got to the floor after Blanche rescinded a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" — the one Cornyn and Tillis had used to block his confirmation.

1. He Can Do the Job (Cornyn, Tillis, Cassidy, Grassley)

Blanche is qualified, senators forced a concession on the fund, and confirmed beats acting.

He's a real prosecutor, not just a defense lawyer. Before joining private practice, Blanche spent eight years as an SDNY prosecutor — rising to co-chief of the violent crimes unit, overseeing about two dozen prosecutors. Supporters argue that background is the job, not the three years he spent defending Trump.

The weaponization fund deal shows he'll negotiate. Cornyn and Tillis declared the fund dead: "We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund." Sen. Bill Cassidy, who acknowledged Blanche had shown "poor judgment" in some decisions, argued that a confirmed AG is more accountable than a permanent acting one — and that Blanche's defense experience might help him "push back on the president's demands."

The acting-AG record has been fine. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley said Blanche had "led the Justice Department with distinction" since April and was "the right choice."

2. But He's Still Trump's Lawyer (Booker, Durbin, Schiff, Padilla)

Blanche represented Trump in three criminal cases. That conflict doesn't disappear with a Senate vote.

He wasn't confirmed to serve the country. Cory Booker said it plainly: "He was not confirmed to serve the American people or uphold the Constitution. He was confirmed to be Donald Trump's personal lawyer."

Democrats say the timing makes it worse. Sen. Dick Durbin argued: "If there is ever a moment in history when we need an AG above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it's right now." Sen. Adam Schiff said Blanche "has never been able to shed his role as criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump."

His whole recent career was protecting Trump. Sen. Alex Padilla noted that Blanche "claims he was Donald Trump's personal attorney but is continuing to act as if he's still Donald Trump's personal attorney." Democrats argue no Senate vote erases the fact that Blanche spent his entire recent career keeping Trump out of prison.

3. And Two Republicans Agree (Collins and Murkowski)

Their concern isn't Blanche's résumé — it's whether the DOJ can function as an institution.

The DOJ is already too political, and Blanche won't fix that. Collins called him "a capable lawyer" but said "the Department of Justice has become increasingly political." Her concerns went beyond Blanche: she also cited how the department handled the Epstein files, immunity grants to the president, and targeting of political opponents.

Blanche couldn't convince her he'd push back. Murkowski said the country needs an AG "who will check the worst impulses of this administration," and she wasn't convinced he would.

The joint no vote has weight. Collins and Murkowski are the two Republican senators who most consistently break with the party on executive power. When both vote no on the same nominee, that's a signal, not a protest.

Where This Lands

Republicans confirmed Blanche because they had leverage — the weaponization fund is dead, and Cassidy and others think a confirmed AG is more accountable than an acting one. Democrats say no Senate vote erases three years of personal loyalty to a client who now sits above prosecution. Collins and Murkowski say the DOJ itself has drifted, and Blanche won't pull it back. Blanche said he's "deeply honored" by the president's trust. That framing — trust from the president — is exactly what his critics say is the problem.

Sources